In 1791, the States ratified the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution about the right of an individual to own and use firearms. Second Amendment stresses the individual’s right to own firearms to protect personal liberty, safety, or property. However, individuals are also members of a community and those who do not own firearms have the right to live without fear of unprovoked gun violence or other consequences of irresponsible gun ownership. We may face many dilemmas when faced with “the rights of individuals in a free society to own guns balanced against the safety of those vulnerable in society” (Gereluk, Donlevy, & Thompson, 2015, p. 465).
In January 16, 2013, the White House published: “Now Is the Time. …show more content…
However, gun violence is a serious public health crisis in America, where thousands of people are killed by guns, die of firearm suicides, or are treated for non-fatal firearm injuries. Modern guns hold more rounds of ammunition and are smaller and easier to conceal. Finally, Americans own almost half the private firearms in the world (Johnson, …show more content…
In 1994, the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 (GFSA) required that school districts adopt a gun-free policy in order to receive federal funds for their schools. However, the GFSA does not address people who are not part of the school community but use the school to commit the crime (Gereluk, Donlevy, & Thompson, 2015).
Conducting school risk assessments can suggest implementing particular security measures based on the context and demographics of schools, where “increased security precautions ought to be proportional to the imminent threat posed… especially given the lack of clear patterns of intent related to gun violence in schools.” (Gereluk, Donlevy, & Thompson, 2015, p. 469). Usually, after a school shooting takes place, it is suggested that teachers be required to carry firearms in order to protect students. However, when teachers lack firearm training, they may unintentionally harm the students and school